傳統骨科中藥材骨碎補對骨母細胞之生理活性研究

劉華昌教授
台大醫院骨
天然物及中草藥的使用在中國已有超過一千年的歷史。傳統中國藥物歷經數百年的臨床試驗，許多處方均在臨床上有很好的效果。然而多數藥材的療效缺乏科學理論的依據，因此限制了其廣泛的應用性。骨折在骨科疾病中是常見案例，研究骨折癒和過程可提供許多有關骨質形成(bone formation)機制的訊息。有關中醫骨科的處方骨碎補是經常被使用之藥材。主要藥用部分為根莖，本省民間用以固筋、補腎、治骨折。骨質重整已知是由破骨細胞調控之骨質再吸收及骨母細胞調控之骨質形成兩者共同作用而成。目前已知骨母細胞會分泌許多調控物質來影響破骨細胞之功能。其中出一氧化氮(NO)已被發現會抑制破骨細胞的活性。

細胞內鈣離子濃度([Ca24]i)在許多細胞反應中被確認可扮演重要功能，許多種類的細胞當受到刺激時會使Ca++離子由細胞外向內流動，或使細胞內之內質網或粒腺體釋出Ca++離子而使[Ca++]i增加。骨母細胞在骨頭的代謝中擔任重要的調節功能，因為骨母細胞直接與骨頭的形成有關，且可經由控制破骨細胞來調節骨質再吸收作用。骨母細胞具有鈣離子通道，此通道可傳遞細胞外的訊息進入細胞內，而引發許多細胞內的反應，促使骨頭重組。

本計畫擬從骨碎補中以乙醇當抽提物，分離出主要成份，以這些成分來測試何者對骨母細胞具有生物活性。並將這些不同的成分混合、測試是否具有協同作用或拮抗作用。生物活性的測定將採用骨母細胞之增生(proliferation)及鹼性磷酸脢(Alkaline phosphatase)的活性當指標。經測試具有生物活性的部分將進一步研究其對骨母細胞內鈣離子濃度的影響及一氧化氮合成酵素(inducible nitric oxide synthase, iNOS)的表現情形。流式細胞計數儀(Flow cytometry)近來被廣泛應用於細胞生物學，此項工具將被用來測量活細胞內瞬間之鈣離子濃度變化，而西方墨點法將被用來作為iNOS的定量分析。本計畫將利用這些細胞實驗模式，以科學的方法來評估傳統骨科藥材的療效，並提供進一步鑑定其有效成分化學結構的參考，期望經由系統性的研究，能使傳統醫療之學說科學化。

關鍵字：骨母細胞、傳統中藥、鹼性磷酸脢

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Studies on the biological activity of osteoblast induced by traditional medicine; Gu-Tsuy Bu

Hwa-Chang Liu
National Taiwan University Hospital
The use of natural substances and herbal medicines in China has been lasted for over a thousand years. Being subjected to hundreds of years of clinical testing, a lot of the Chinese traditional medicines have been proved to be effective. However, most of the therapeutic effects are lack of scientific evidence and thus, limited their usage. The study of fracture healing has provided important insight into the mechanisms of direct bone formation as well as the events that follow orthopedic trauma. “Gu-Tsuy-Bu” is one of the Chinese traditional medicines that has been claimed to have beneficial effects on bone healing, but their biochemical effects is still not well established. Bone remodeling is characterized by the coupling of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast mediated bone formation. Osteoblasts are known to produce a number of factors that modulate osteoclast activity. It has been reported that osteoblasts release nitric oxide and nitric oxide appears to inhibit os
關鍵字：osteoblast, traditional medicine, alkaline phosphatase